Heat-exchange apparatus



Sept. 7 1926.

K. MUHLEISEN HEAT EXCHANGE APPARATUS Filed Augg st 2, 1922 WITNESS Patented Sept. 7, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

KARL munLE IsEN, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR r SCHUTTE AND xOEn'rINe COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PEN SYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS.

Application filed August 2, 1922. Serial No. 579,091.

. in a casing and the opposite ends of which are secured in tube plates at the opposite ends of the said casing.

In the use of such apparatus, particularly when it is employed for the cooling of lubricating oils as, for instance, the lubricating oils employed in connection with turbine engines, the external surfaces of the said tubes in contact with which the oil flows in its passage through the apparatus become covered with deposits which from time to time should be removed. By reason of the construction of such apparatus as heretofore manufactured, in which the opposite ends of all of the tubes have beenimmovably connected with the said tube plates, the removal of the de osits from the external surfaces and from t e spaces intermediate'the said tubes has been a diflicult and troublesome operation.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus of the character indicated having or embodying a novel construction of means whereby the cleaning of the external surfaces of the tubes and the removal of deposits from the spaces intermediate said tubes may be more readily effected. thanheretofore has been possible. I

A further object of the invention is to provide the apparatus with means whereby one or more of the tubes may be disengaged from the opposite tube plates previously referred to and removed from the apparatus whereby the material to be removed from the external surfaces of the tubes and from the spaces between the same may be pushed toward the longitudinal center of the apparatus and removed therefrom through the said tube plates at the opposite ends of the casing within which the tubes are situated. To these and other ends, which will be hereinafter more fully pointed out, the invention comprehends the construction and arrangement'of parts as hereinafter pointed a 'out in the detailed description of the apparatus but'more particularly in the claims.

In order thatthe invention may be readily understood and its practical advantages fully appreciated, reference may be had to the accompanying drawing in which one form of mechanical embodiment thereof is shown. However, it will be understood that changes may be made in the details of construction within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a central longitudinal sectional view of a heat exchange apparatus embody- 1ng my invention,-an intermediate portion of the apparatus beingbroken away as indicated;

Fig. 2 isa similar view of the tubesand the opposite tube plates to which the ends 1 of the said tubes are secured with the central relat 1vely large tube removed; and

Fig. 3 1s an end elevation, looking toward the left in Fig. 1, of the central portion ofthe tube plate, and showing the ends of the pipes which are secured in holes within said ead or closure.

Referring to the drawing: 1 designates the main or body portion of a casing having detachable hollow head-like portions 2 and 3 secured to the oppositeends thereof by means of screws 4 and 5. The part 1 of the casing is provided with a flanged inlet opening 6 to which a supply 'conduit is adapted to be secured for supplying a fluid,

such as lubricating oil, to the part 1 ofthe casing, which fluid travels therethrough and is discharged through an outlet opening at 8 having connection with a conduit, not shown. The hollow portions 2 and 3 are provided respectively with inlet-and outlet openings 10 and 11 which openings are in communication 'with supplying an d discharging conduits, not shown.

15 designates a plurality of relatively small pipes which are permanently secured at their opposite ends in openings in tube plates 16' and 17. is situated inothe plane of the joint or connection between the hollow head 3 and the part 1 of the casing, and the joint between the said tube plate. 16 and the'parts 1 and 3 is rendered air or water tight by a suitable The formertube plate 16 annular packing 18. The opposite Itube pose of rendering the same fluid tight annular washers 21 and 22 are provided. Situated at the center of the group or bundle of relatively small pipes is a relatively large pipe 25 which is detachably secured to the tube plates 16 and 17. A plug 26 having a central opening 27 therethrough is permanently secured in one end, the right hand end, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, of the pipe 25. The said plug is provided with an outwardly extending screwthreaded projection 28 with which a nut 29 is adapted to engage. The inner edge of said nut is provided with an annular flange 30 which is seated against a metal washer 31, underneath which is a thin washer 32 which rests against the inner edge of the tube plate 16 which surrounds the central opening 33. A plug or closure 35 is also permanently secured within the opposite end of the pipe 25. Said plug or closure is provided with a central opening 36 and it. is also provided with a lateral flange 37 which overlies the adjacent end portion of the pipe 25 and also the adjacent edge portion of the tube plate 17 surrounding the central opening 38 therethrough. A washer 39 is situated underneath the flange 37, as shown. The said plug 35 is provided with a looped or bail-like portion 40 by means of which the group of pipes, including the pipe 25, may be withdrawn from the casing and lifted and handled after withdrawal. The said looped or bail portion 40 also facilitates the Withdrawal of the pipe or tube 25 upon removal of the nut 29 from the screwthreaded projection 28. It is apparent that upon removalof the said nut the pipe or tube 25 may be withdrawn longitudinally from its position at the center of the plurality or group of tubes 15.

For the purpose of causing the fluid which enters the casing 1 through the inlet 6 to flow through said casing in a tortuous path, I have provided the bafiie plates which are situated at intervals within the said casing. These bafile plates are provided with openings through which the pipes or tubes extend, the said plates. being supported upon said tubes. The outer edges of certain of said bafile plates contact with annular ribs upon the interior of the casing 1, while their inner edges are spaced a distance from the pipe or tube 25. The inner edges of other alternately arranged baflie plates contact with the centrally situated pipe or tube 25, while the outer edges thereof are spaced from the inner surface of the. casing 1. The construction and arrangement of these plates are apparent from Fig. 1 of the drawing.

The oil or other fluid to be cooled, let us say enters the casing 1 through the inlet 6 an leaves the same through the outlet 8.

The cooling fluid medium enters through the inlet 10 and'passes through the pipes 15 and 25 in a direction the reverse of that of the movement of the surrounding fluid, and after emerging from the said tubes es; capes from the apparatus through the out let 11. In the passage of the fluids through the apparatus there is an interchange of temperature, the cooler fluid becoming warmer and the warmer fluid becoming cooler.

For the purpose of removing deposits from the exterior of the pipes or tubes 15 and from between the baflle plates 45 the portion 2 of the casing is removed, after which the bundle of tubes 15 and '25, including the tube plates 16 and 17 secured thereto with the baflle plates 45, is withdrawn from the casing. The nut 29 is then removed, after which the central relatively large tube 25 may be withdrawn. The deposits may then be scraped from the tubes 15 and from the spaces intermediate the baflie plates 45 and from the spaces between the two outermost baffle plates and the adjacent opposing tube plates 16 and 17 and caused to fall into or enter the space occupied by the tube 25, from which it may be removed through one of the openings 33 or 38.

It will be seen that by the provision of a construction comprising a centrally situated relatively large removable tube the person cleaning the tubes may operate from any point upon the outside of the bundle or group of tubes and that it is only necessary that the material to be removed shall be dis placed a distance less than one half the diameter of the group or bundle. After the tubes have thus been cleaned the tube 25 is re-inserted and the nut 29 screwed into place, and by reason of the contact of the flange 30 against the washer 31 the said tube may be drawn forwardly so that the flange 37 will bear tightly and closely against the washer 39. It will thus be seen that the openings 33 and 38 are hermetically sealed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A heat exchange apparatus, comprising a casing, tube plates located at the opposite ends of said casing, a plurality of tubes located eccentrically of the axis of said casing, the opposite ends of which extend into and are secured in openings in the said tube plates, a tube located centrally of said casin the opposite ends of which extend into and are secured in openings in the said tube plates and means havin connection with the opposite ends of said central tube, which means are adapted to be clamped against the outer sides-of the said tube plates for holdin the said central tube in place, and one o the said means being detachable whereby the said central tube may be removed.

2. A heat exchange apparatus, comprising a group .of tubes certain of which are situated in annular arrangement with respect to a central tube, tube plate's secured to the Opposite ends of the said tubes which are arranged in annular relation to the said cen tral tube, and means having connection with the opposite ends of said central tube, which means are adapted to clamp against the outer sides of the said tube plates to hold the said central tube in place, and one of the said means being removable whereby said central tube may be removed.

3. A heat exchange apparatus, comprising a group of tubes, tube plates'having openings therethrough in which the opposite ends of said tubes are secured, the said tubes including a central tube concentrically situated with respect to surrounding tubes, the said tube being provided at one end with a plug having a flange projecting laterally therefrom and at its other end with a plug having an outwardly extending screwthreaded projection, and a nut in engagement with said projection and contacting at its inner side with a relatively stationary part of; the structure so that upon turning the same the said tube is pulled forwardly outer surface of the adjacent inner edge portion of the adjacent co-operating tube plate.

. 4; A heat exchange apparatus, comprising a casing, tube-plates located at the opposite ends of said casing, a plurality of tubes 10-- cated eccentrically of the axis-of said casing, the opposite ends of which extend into and are secured in holes in the said tubeplates, a tube located centrally of said casing, the opposite ends of which extend into and are secured in holes in the said tube-' plates, means whereby said tubes and tubeplates may be removed from said casing, and means having connection with the 0pposi'te ends of said central tube, which means are adapted to be clamped against the outer sides of the said tube-plates for holding the said central tube in place, and one of the said means being detachable whereby the said central tube may be removed from said tube-plates.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have hereunto .signed-n1y name this 31 day of July, A. D., 1922.

KARL MUHLEISEN. 

